1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic product advance mechanism for dispensing single merchandise on vending machines. In particular, the disclosed mechanism is designed to custom fit on a variety of glass-front vending machines shelves and or to be incorporated on new models as well. The novel system has its main concern aimed towards increasing product capacity and selections per shelf.
2. Prior Art
Many different mechanism systems are utilized to dispense and vend merchandise in automatic devices known as vending machines. The prior art dispensing mechanism works utilizing physical dividers or spacers to separate and hold packages to be dispensed, therefore lacking the need for maximizing the amount of shelf space which can be useful to increase product storage and exposure.
The most common used mechanism, U.S. Pat. No. 0,406,1245 discloses a helical coil dispensing apparatus that accommodates products in between coils to be dispensed when rotated, but has its downside considering that the spaces between coils are given (according to the number of coils) and the coil itself both accumulates space that could be useful. Another disadvantage of the coil system is the need to replace different coils counts according to the dimension of the package been stored not to mention that most machines using this system are limit up to 10 column-selections per shelf maximum.
Hence it is the object of this invention to provide a novel and universal mechanism dispensing system that features more products vend capacity and more selections per shelf. Another important objective of this invention is to provide total flexibility allowing this new dispensing mechanism to be assembled in the majority of new and already existing vending machines shelves.
This present invention achieves its objectives by eliminating physical spacers or most air space in between products allowing more room to accommodate merchandise therefore offering more product storage and vending capacity. The same unit is capable of dispensing a variety of different packages (boxes, bags, etc . . . ) sizes without having to be replaced. Other advantage is the flexibility provided from the interchangeable wall dividers that allows one to increase or decrease the number of columns according to the desire planogram. The disclosed system allows a maximum of 20 columns on a single vending machine shelf by splitting the base-rack into two columns wherein the present system described functions with the two actuator ratchets and two sliding carrier back-sled on one single base-rack unit, and are independently operated by two crank-slider mechanism sets, one installed underneath the base-rack driving one of the ratchets and the other placed on top of the base-rack operating the other ratchet.
Other advantages such as easy loading of merchandise are effective features related to increment cost effectiveness and operability. The merchandise sliding carrier back-sled is retractable by a simple one-handed maneuver. Utilizing plastic material on molding injection process and extrusion, the mechanism is long term resistant and manufacture at very low cost.
The present invention has the flexibility to be installed on most conventional glass front type vending machines shelves.
As shown on the embodiment of the present invention, a base-rack means to allocate a row of products that are escorted by two adjacent interchangeable column dividers and supported on an upright position by a sliding carrier back-sled means to push towards the front of the base-rack with the purpose of been individually dispensed operated by the following described mechanism system.
A shaft mounted to the bore of a gear motor is fastened to a pivot point on a crank-slider mechanism. Once the motor is energized the crank leverage arm rotates eccentrically having one end opposite from the axis pivot ably connected to an extended linkage arm. The linkage arm opposite end from the one mounted to the crank leverage arm is than pivoted to a slider that is fastened to one or two actuator ratchets. The actuator ratchet slides back and forth guided by a rail running internally and longitudinally along the base-rack driven by the rotation of the crank-slider mechanism. The center position of the pivot point on the crank leverage arm added to the length of the linkage arm determines the maximum distance the actuator ratchet will advance along the guided rail along the base-rack. The maximum stroke of the actuator ratchet is equivalent to two times the distance measured between the center point of the crank leverage arm and the pivot point where the shaft from the gear motor is fastened, added to the length of the linkage arm equally or less longer than the whole length of the crank leverage arm on the crank-slider mechanism.
The home or rest position of the mechanism is when the actuator ratchet is set by positioning the crank-slider mechanism with the shaft pivot point facing towards the front (50) of the base-rack resting the actuator ratchet all the way towards the back (54). A clear material placed at the front end of the base-rack and leveled upwardly and oblique to the products loaded means to function as a gate-shield to prevent the first product to fall off when the system is on the rest position. The clear gate-shield is fastened at the front end of one column divider adjacent to the base-rack. On the back of the base-rack a bracket connects the same column divider to the closest ratchet enabling the column divider to slide back and forth along with the actuator ratchet. The crank-slider mechanism rotates eccentrically activated by the gear motor and pushes the actuator ratchet that simultaneously slides the column divider advancing the clear gate-shield accordingly to the distance equivalent to the ratchet stroke. During the previous described cycle, a pawl pivot ably placed on the back of the sliding carrier back-sled engages by gravity to one of the teeth of the actuator ratchet enabling the sliding carrier back-sled to advance along pushing forward the products loaded on the base-rack until the first product located to the furthermost end of the base-rack or at the chute position is dispensed. On the downfall trajectory the product passes through an optical sensor that shoots a beam perpendicular with the front of the base-rack, sending a signal to an interface circuit board programmed to reverse the direction of the gear motor revolution enabling the ratchet to return to its home position and immediately driving back the column divider closing the gate-shield and avoiding the sliding carrier back-sled to further advance and drop the next product loaded. The combination of electronic and mechanical applications of the disclosed invention enables the novel dispensing system to automatically adjust according to the tick ness of each package been vended. The operation of the entire mechanism is ceased when during the system reverse cycle the ratchet is pulled back to the rest position reaching the previous starting point where a limit switch built inside the gear motor is then actuated. Once the ratchet is been driven backwards, the sliding carrier back-sled is retained on the last position due to the friction on the feet of the latter with the rail on the base-rack leaving the next product to be delivered on the chute position.
The nature, utility and principle of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description thereof when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.
This is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/766,720.
The present invention title as Adjustable Push Forward Dispensing Mechanism comprises of one base-rack (10) one attached front-unit (50) two actuator ratchets (20), two sliding support carrier back-sled (30), with one pawl each (36), a crank-slider mechanism (70), a gear motor (90), a motor-bracket (80), a clear gate-shield (60), an interchangeable wall divider (40, 41), a bracket to connect with dividers (100), an optical sensor (130), an interface circuit board.